Which drugs work best for resistant high blood pressure?

If you have resistant high blood pressure (hypertension), you are probably already doing a lot to lower it. But a study suggests that people with resistant hypertension rarely get two particularly effective drugs, and often they get a drug combination that's not very helpful.

Resistant hypertension occurs when blood pressure stays high despite taking three or more drugs, or when a person needs four or more drugs to reach blood pressure goals. Colorado researchers reviewed insurance claims for more than 140,000 such people. Only 3% were receiving chlorthalidone (Hydone, generic), a diuretic (water pill) that several studies suggest is more effective at reducing blood pressure and curbing bad cardiovascular consequences than the most-often-prescribed diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDiuril, generic).